Lotus Motorcycles C-01 teased

Recently, Lotus hasn’t had the most stable period in its history, with doubts about future model plans, ownership speculation and the acrimonious departure of former chief executive Dany Bahar. But none of that has stopped the company making a surprise move into the two-wheeler market.

The first bike in the pipeline from newly-formed Lotus Motorcycles has been named the C-01. Using exotic materials such as carbon fibre and titanium, it will feature an engine producing around 200 horsepower (about 150 kW). That’s a similar output to established sports bikes such as the BMW S 1000 RR and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R.

No other technical details have been divulged, but Lotus has confirmed the C-01 is going to be built in collaboration with race car manufacturer Kodewa and components supplier Holzer Group.

Design meanwhile is the responsibility of ex-Bugatti employee Daniel Simon, who commented: “With the Lotus C-01, we have only one ambition: to create a unique state-of-the-art machine that carries its brutal forces with elegance and style, a high-tech monster in a tailored suit. The C-01, with all its top notch components and materials, is first and foremost emotional, heart-breaking, at times playfully retro, and always clearly a Lotus.

“Lotus is a glamorous name with a rich history, and the C-01 celebrates it proudly: the shapes of the marvellous Lotus 49 were a main inspiration, and all colour schemes pay homage to iconic Lotus racing liveries, such as the dashing black and gold. The intersection of past and future never fails to fascinate, and so does the unique idea of the C-01.”

For now, only a teaser shot of the bike’s fuel tank has been released, but further images are due to appear over the coming weeks.

Lotus C-01 (2014) Tank Detail

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